The War of the Worlds: Original and Unabridged

Publisher Marketing: The War of the Worlds by English author "H. G. Wells," details the adventures of an unnamed protagonist and his brother in Surrey and London as Earth is invaded by Martians. It is one of the earliest stories that detail a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race and is one of the most commented-on works in the science fiction canon. The narrator, a philosophically-inclined author, struggles to return to his wife while seeing the Martians lay waste to southern England. While his brother describes events in the capital and escapes the Martians by boarding a ship on the Essex coast. The plot has been related to invasion literature of the time. The novel has been variously interpreted as a commentary on evolutionary theory, British Imperialism, and generally Victorian superstitions, fears and prejudices. At the time of publication it was classified as a scientific romance, like his earlier novel The Time Machine. The War of the Worlds has been both popular (having never gone out of print) and influential, spawning half a dozen feature films, radio dramas, a record album, various comic book adaptations, a television series, and sequels or parallel stories by other authors. Review Citations: Audio File Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy 12/01/2008 pg. 33 (EAN 9780792750000, Compact Disc) Kliatt 07/01/2006 pg. 56 (EAN 9780753124703, Compact Disc) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2006 pg. 971 (EAN 9781590171585, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 831 (EAN 9781590171585, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2010 pg. 976 (EAN 9781590171585, Hardcover) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2009 pg. 1039 (EAN 9781590171585, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 1084 (EAN 9781590171585, Hardcover) Ingram Advance 06/01/2005 pg. 101 (EAN 9780141441030, Paperback) Ingram Children's Advance 07/01/2005 pg. 71 (EAN 9781416903680, Paperback) Library Journal 08/01/1995 (EAN 9780192828262, Paperback) Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2001 pg. 102 (EAN 9780688131371, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2002 pg. 102 (EAN 9780688131371, Hardcover) Library Journal 05/01/2001 pg. 133 (EAN 9780786407804, Library Binding) Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2001 pg. 239 (EAN 9780786407804, Library Binding) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/1991 (EAN 9780679810476, Paperback) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2006 pg. 65 (EAN 9780679810476, Paperback) New York Times Book Review 12/16/2007 pg. 16 (EAN 9780486295060, Paperback) Entertainment Weekly 07/29/2005 pg. 74 (EAN 9780425050750, Mass Market Paperbound) Contributor Bio:  Wells, H G Often called "the father of science fiction," British author Herbert George (H. G.) Wells' literary works are notable for being some of the first titles of the science fiction genre, and include such famed titles as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The Invisible Man. Despite being fixedly associated with science fiction, Wells wrote extensively in other genres and on many subjects, including history, society and politics, and was heavily influenced by Darwinism. His first book, Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Human Life and Thought, offered predictions about what technology and society would look like in the year 2000, many of which have proven accurate. Wells went on to pen over fifty novels, numerous non-fiction books, and dozens of short stories. His legacy has had an overwhelming influence on science fiction, popular culture, and even on technological and scientific innovation. Wells died in 1946 at the age of 79.